Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-12-02
CALIFORNIA NABOBS.
stylish Embellishments To lie Seen at
McnIo park.


McnIo park.
Hereabouts. within circle of seven
,r eight miles. saws letter from Men
q Park. Cal. lived the wealthy Cali
ornians. and those OF them who have
,ept ,fe and competence still live here,
within easy access of San Francisco.
Henlo Park is station surrounded 10y
blended temperate and tropical foil
lge. and il has two stylish-loooking
restaurants, and generally at the COM
NJ of trains. there are fine horses and
,arryalls waiting here. Not more than
ialf mile from the station Is the resi-
leuce of Flood. the banker. who is the
prime pal man Of the former Bonanza
luadrate. Mr.. Flood is now we'll
considered man in the best society of
California because his moral tone has
always been spicuously better than
he example of some of his associates.
FOO often the sons of these rich Cali
brnaus become profligate and have no
tim in fe. Flood has only one folly,
md that is speculation; as was said by
James ". of Scotland. when in his dy-
NJ moments he heard of the birth of
lis daughter Mary: "The crown came
~ lass and il viii 90 by lass" So
( this wealth which came by the stock
exchange, will so by the stock-exchange,
wen then it must be said that the
Judgments Of the Lord are good and
righteous altogether. Mr. Flood seems
- have established by great sacrifice
he axiom that nobody and no pool can
,Orner the wheat market of this cOun-
ny. Probably hereafter all such at
empts VIII be abandoned and the crops
Of the country will go to the seaboard
,nd be shipped where needed without
h artificial interference. VIII ch is
generally attributed to James Keane.
he very man who broke down the boz
isnza stocks of Flood 81 Co. He be-
;amo ruined in New York, AMI they
ave barely escaped disaster in Cali
Ornia.
Mr.. Floods mansion is OF wood.
painted white, and it has a French
over in the middle and its gables are
brown up. Dutch fashion, like scrolls.
1t Is very large and very beautiful
rouse and DO not agree with some of
he neighbors. who think it is too
White, for amid the dense foliage OF
,he great park around it this white has
lie freshness Of alabastcr. or even of
italian marble The lodge at the front
gate is of the same white tone. and the
table. some distance in the rear OF the
iouse. carries out the same tint. or
want Of tint, and the house which the
Floods occupied while this mansion was
Deing built still stands in one of the
paths, quite good enough for any man
who has not had a million. Through
Pat these grounds are arranged very
bne bronze fountains, bronze statues
md groups. and especially noble
bronze vases. exceeding in number, /
think, as well AZ in variety. the similar
ornaments in any OF our eastern private
grounds. The flower walks run through
Inc natural growth of I've oaks. the
Australian eucalyptus, palm, and ba-
aana, and mixed foliagcs of the north
md south, which here come into more
friendly consonance than the native
princes of Iudia and the British aristo-
,racy. For park, Mr.. Flood has de.
FelOped one OF the most beautiful in
ihe world. 1t seemed to me that there
we're miles of these flower beds run
1ing around in sun and shade and
growing equally well in both. He is
Idid to be the only man out here who
gives the fixed sum Of So, 900 every
Christmas to the orphans and the poor,
md this he gives. though Catholic. TO
Ill the sectar an Institutions in good
standing. without discrimination-to
The jews. the Pedestrians, and the Cath
,lcs. lIe Is not a selecler OF social
!avoritcs. as Mackay is. taking fancy
here and there, and giving some broken
aian a start Mr.. Flood undertook to
warehouse a large part of the grain Of
his coast, and that probably led him
INTO the idea of cornerng it and put
ling 1t up in price. Public opinion
charges upon his cashier the buying of
great bulks of grain to the dc pletion of
Hose funds the bank required for its
ordinary exchanges and obligations.
Almost adjoining Floods house Is
Mrs Mark Hopkins villa, VIII CHI was
built by Milton 5. Latham, who was
Tor q tile while United States senator.
Like Ralston and Sharon. he was an
Ohio boy. and he drifted to California
through Alabama. Out here he mar
-ied fine woman. who still lives. and
be embarked in banking and in railroad
building, and had the finest house of
bis time in San Francisco, and this vii Ia
IS said TO have cost him enormously;
the popular story is that one room in it
cost 500. OO0 should suppose. from